Toy gun



Dec. 4, 1945. w. B. FORD 2,390,247

TOY GUN Filed July 28, 1944 [N VENTOR Lu /+6? :5, 1 ar :1 Y

.4 TT NE Y Patented Dec. 4, 1945 TOY GUN Walter B. Ford, Los Angcles, Calif., assignor of forty-six and two-thirds per cent to C. Bland Jamison and twenty per cent to Collins Mason, both of Beverly Hills, Calif.

Application July 28, 1944, Serial No. 546,975

\ 2 Claims.

My invention has to do with toy gun and has for its object the provision of an electrically actuated gun which utilizes magnetic means, such as the core of a solenoid, as the propelling member.

Another object is the provision in such a device of safety means for confining the travel of the movable core and for regulating the force of propulsion of the pellet or missile being propelled.

Another object is the provision in such a device of means for automatically feeding the pellets to the gun.

Another object is the provision of a toy gun which creates sufllcient spark to afford a realistic simulation of a powder charge concurrently with the propelling action.

Other objects will appear from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a medial section and Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing I show a bas 5 having an annular portion 5a supporting a barrel 6 carrying an axial metal tube I at such angle that any member placed slidably in the tube will slide by gravity towards the inner or right-hand end thereof.

A wire coil 8 is mounted around the inner or right-hand end of the tube in such manner that its magnetic field will be directed to the left. The starting end of the wire 11) forming the coil is conductively connected to the tube at 9. A cable It] connected to an A. C. current source, not shown, has one of its wires ll connected at l2 to one terminal of a switch l5, the other terminal of the switch being connected, through screw Hi, to the conductive, U-shaped bracket ll. The other wire Ila of the cable is connected at [8 to the other end of the coil wire w.

A plug 20 is secured in the tube 1 between its ends and has a reduced axial opening 2|.

A core 25, made of a conductive material, is slidably disposed in the tube 1 and by virtue of the angular disposition of the tube will slide by gravity to the right when the coil is not energized, so that the right-hand end of the core will rest against and contact bracket IT. The core carries a reduced diameter outer end projection or extension 30 which is slightly longer than the plug 20 and of a diameter small enough to freely pass through the opening 2| in the plug.

A tubular magazine 35 is mounted atop the barrel. having its discharge end 36 communicating with the interior of the tube 1 immediately at the outer end of the opening 2| in plug 20. A plunger 40 is reciprocally mounted in the magazine, being normally urged inwardly of the magazine by a coil spring M. The actuatin rod -42 for the plunger projects through the inner end of the magazine and a radial filling opening 45 is provided in the side wall of the magazine through which pellets 50 may be fed to the magazine when the plunger is pulled to the right of the opening 45. The spring urges the string of pellets towards the discharge end of the magazine, at which point the pellets are deposited one at a time in the tube and as each pellet falls into the tube it will, by gravity. rest against the plug 20. The switch [5 is actuated by a push button 55.

Operation of the device is as follows: When the magazine is charged with pellets, as shown, and cable I0 is connected to a current source, the device is ready for operation. When the push button 55 is pushed inwardly to close switch l5, the coil circuit is thus closed through screw I6, bracket ll, core 25 and tube 1, and as soon as the circuit is thus closed the magnetic field will propel core 25 to the left with suificient force to cause the extension 30 to pass through plug opening 2| and propel the pellet 50 resting against the plug, outwardly of the tube, the operation being accompanied by a slight electrical spark due to the cooperation of the core and coil, to simulate an explosion. Undue heating is prevented since the circuit is opened as soon as the core leaves contact with the bracket l'l. If inward pressure on the push button 55 is maintained to keep switch l5 closed, as soon as the core 25 returns to the starting position by gravity, it will again close the circuit and repeat the performance above described, another pellet having meanwhile been dropped into position to be propelled outwardly as before.

I claim:

1. In a toy gun adapted to be connected into an electrical circuit, a base, a pellet-carrying tube mounted on and disposed angular to the base, the inner end portion of the tube being electrically conductive, a solenoid coil wound about the inner end portion of the tube, said coil having one of its ends conductively connected to the tube, an electrically conductive bracket carried by the base opposite the inner end of the tube, a pair of circuit wires, one of said wires being connected to the bracket and the other of said wires being connected to the other end of the coil, an electrically conductive core longitudinally slidably mounted in the tube, said core being movable in response to gravity in contact with said bracket whereby to close the coil circuit, and stop means adjacent the outer end of the tube to arrest liding movement of the core.

2. In a toy gun adapted to be connected into an electrical circuit, a base, a pellet-carrying tube mounted on and disposed angular to the base, the inner end portion of the tube being electrically conductive, a solenoid coil wound about the inner end portion of the tube, said coil having one of its ends conductively connected to the tube, an

electrically conductive bracket carried by th'efl base opposite the inner end of the tube, a pair of circuit wires, one of said Wires being connected.

to the bracket and the other 01 said wires being connected to the other end of the coil, an electrically conductive core longitudinally slidably mounted in the tube, said core being movable in response to gravity into contact with said bracket whereby to close the coil circuit, a stop plug mounted in the tube between the ends thereof, said plug having an axialopening, and an extension member carried by the outer endlof the core, said extension member being longer than said plug and being of a diameter to freely pass through said opening.

WALTER B. FORD. 

